


Passage of Time

by coffee_o



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Mari being Mari, childhood friends to gfs i guess, other members make small appearances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 04:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13990647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffee_o/pseuds/coffee_o
Summary: It is precisely because they had known each other for a long time that everything feels right.





	Passage of Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xswordeyesx12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswordeyesx12/gifts).



> For @xswordeyesx12 who requested youchika! I've always wanted to try writing youchika and I know I'm not doing them justice but I hope this is alright! 
> 
> Also, I’m sorry this took 84 years for me to complete T_T I write at a snail pace + i have an extremely busy schedule this semester
> 
> Edit: edited for grammar;;;

Sometimes Chika wonders what You sees in her. She believes herself to be a normal girl, with no distinguishing traits, yet You, on the other hand, is popular, in part due to her being on the school’s swim team.

 

Having known each other since they were young, Chika has often admired the ash-haired girl from afar, despite being so close to her. Energetic and friendly, You has always seemed to know what she wanted to do, and has always been out to attain her goals. You is always there for her, and they had been inseparable since young. There’s also just something about You that draws her in, that ignites a flame of passion within her. Being with You makes her feel at ease - there’s this sense of comfort being with her best friend since forever.

 

It doesn’t dawn upon her that perhaps, she might be in love with her best friend until one day, when they are in the clubroom with the rest of Aqours up to their usual shenanigans.

 

Mari has issued a challenge - one that, like any other nonsensical things the blonde had come up with, would eventually flop or result in them getting an earful from Dia. 

 

To see who is the strongest of all in Aqours.

 

And it just so happened that Dia is busy with her Student Council work that day.

 

Being the sensible person You is, she tries to dissuade the supposed director of the school, but Mari easily waves her junior off with a cat like grin.  

 

It starts off pretty mild - Chika notes, with simple arm wrestling. As expected, Ruby and Hanamaru were immediately out, and the duel between Yoshiko and Riko ends in a draw, but You easily beats them in a heartbeat. Kanan has also easily demolished Chika herself and Mari (who was surprisingly strong), leaving only Kanan and You.

 

It isn’t a surprise to anyone in the group of course, but in the midst of the arm wrestle, things got a little heated and the competitive streak in both of them start to emerge.

 

Chika finds herself chuckling when You pouts, albeit childishly at Kanan when she lost against the older girl.  _You-chan really is cute._

 

There is no denying that Chika thinks her best friend is cute. And pretty. Chika likes the way You smiles when the ash-haired girl sees her, the way You’s eyes light up when she comes across a uniform, and the way her lips turns upwards into a radiant grin when she says her catchphrase,  _Yousoro._

 

Not for the first time, Chika realizes that You often has this competitive fire within her, especially when it comes to Kanan. Maybe it’s an athlete thing, or maybe it’s because You strives to be on the same level as the older girl.

 

Even when they were younger, You had looked up to Kanan as her goal and respected her a lot too.

 

Kanan only pats You’s head fondly, and Chika swears that her heart is going to stop when You pouts again.  _You-chan is too adorable._ The mikan loving girl thinks for the second time as she resists the urge rush forward to glomp her best friend and settles for watching next to them.

 

And then Mari throws in a suggestion flippantly.

 

“If that’s the case, why don’t Kanan and You-chan compete to see who can carry someone in Aqours the longest? A test of endurance, I’ll say!”

 

Kanan narrows her eyes at Mari in suspicion. “Isn’t this kind of dangerous?”

 

“Oh? Are you afraid, Kanan?” The blonde goads the dark-haired girl, lips twitching into a slight smirk when Kanan glares at her indignantly. “Of course not. C’mon You. You and me. Showdown. Right now.”

 

“E-Eh?” You looks surprised, but complies.

 

Mari outright laughs loudly, without an ounce of shame as she points towards Chika. “You-chan could probably lift Chikacchi up easily.”

 

Chika takes a step back, her eyes wide.

 

“Me?!”

 

You turns to Chika, the hue of blue in the former’s eyes suddenly intense.

 

Chika feels her cheeks warm slightly, her throat dry. There’s this sense of unexpected nervousness that tingles within her, making her tense up - a feeling she’s unable to put a name on, and a feeling that she has never felt when she’s with You.

 

A few solid seconds later, You blinks, and just like that, the strange moment is gone.

 

“Right, so shall we-” Before Mari gets to finish her sentence, the door slams open, the loud thud halting all activity in the room.

 

“ _Oh no._ ” The fact that Mari emphasizes this in English doesn’t go unnoticed by Chika, who followed the blonde’s gaze towards the door, and her heart sinks.

 

Dia is back.

 

* * *

 

The second time Chika finds her breath taken away by her childhood friend is when You turns up to school one day wearing her glasses.

 

As the rest of Aqours surround her, bombarding her with questions about her eyesight, Chika finds herself unable to tear her gaze away from the ash-haired girl.

 

It has been a while since she has seen You in glasses, and she has almost forgotten that You is short-sighted. But instead of the black-rimmed glasses that You used to wear, You has on a dark red one, and the now bespectacled girl looks charming in her own way. With her soft locks of hair fluttering onto her back and her usual easy-going countenance, Chika realizes that she could stare at her friend forever.

 

When You notices Chika, she gives her a slight wave, along with a huge smile.

 

Her heart starts to beat a tad quicker than usual, and she feels nervous flutters in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that occurs more frequently each time she’s with You.

 

She’s suddenly hesitant, shifting self-consciously at the side, torn between going up to her best friend or staying behind.  _It’s only You-chan._ Chika tells herself, yet her feet continue to stay rooted to the ground.

 

* * *

 

You has been in love with Chika for as long as she could remember. It isn’t really a surprise, when she finally realizes one day when they were younger that she has fallen for her best friend.

 

When she thinks of Chika, You thinks of the sunshine during spring - it’s warmth embracing the nature during the season of the cherry blossoms. Chika has always been the ball of sunshine to everyone she knows. She’s often cheerful and optimistic, charismatic and full of hope. She’s the beacon in her life, whether the other girl knows it or not.

 

Chika was also the reason why she joined Aqours. It was mainly because she finally gets to do something  _together_ with her. The rest of the Aqours means a lot to her too, but Chika will always have a special place in her heart.

 

Chika has always been there, next to her. They did almost everything together, and had been through thin and thick throughout the years. They could read each other like a book. You notices the slight subtle changes in Chika’s body language and knows when she is upset, and likewise, when You is feeling down, Chika is always the first one to notice it. Sometimes, You thinks, Chika is too perceptive for her own good. But You’s at least glad that Chika doesn’t seem to pick up that You has feelings for her.

 

While there are occasional pangs of loneliness and insecurities that she felt, You has come to accept the status quo. She does not regret liking Chika, her best friend since forever, her anchor and light of her world.

 

She decides to relax and not dwell on her feelings - to go full speed ahead and just enjoy the time spent together. She’s fine with how they are right now, and she’s having the time of her life in highschool.

 

So when Chika starts keeping a slight distance away from her, You notices it immediately.

 

She doesn’t interrogate Chika right away, figuring that Chika probably needs time and space to herself, to think about whatever that is bothering her. But the ash-haired girl notices how the other girl has been blushing slightly whenever she’s near, how Chika trips over her words sometimes, and how Chika is unable to look into her eyes. She does not want to be hopeful, but hey, a girl can dream right? You isn’t completely sure, but given how she has known Chika for a long time, You figures that she should not be off the mark.

 

The ends of her lips curl into a smile, as something akin to hope bubbles within her. Her chest feels tight, as some sort of excitement starts tingling through her body. She finds herself grinning dumbly; it is as if she has been revitalized, as if she’s unable to keep still.

 

 She decides to make the first move.

 

* * *

 

It is easier than You has expected.

 

She doesn't know what she had expected - perhaps nervousness and having second doubts? 

 

But here she stands, brimming with confidence, her heart thumping loudly - due to anticipation and excitement. 

 

She locates Chika - she's alone in the clubroom, seemingly deep in thought.

 

"Chika-chan?" You calls out, almost startling the ginger-haired girl.

 

Y-You-chan?" Chika seems surprised to see You. She's standing by the windows, a contemplative frown marring her features. 

 

"Something on your mind?" You probes gently, offering a gentle smile. 

 

"Hm...you could say that," Chika says tentatively, averting her gaze from You's inquisitive ones. You's gaze softens at the conflicted look on her friend's face. 

 

A moment of silence passes. 

 

"...I can't hide anything from you huh?" Chika sounds defeated, resigned even, and it tugs the ends of You's heartstrings. 

 

"Wanna tell me about it?" You tries again. 

 

Chika finally dares to look at You. She opens her mouth, but immediately shuts it. There are a million things she wants to say, but she has no idea how to articulate them. Ever since the day Mari had suggested the silly game, Chika realizes that a flip has been switched inside of her. She's almost afraid of her own train of thoughts, of what her whirlwind of feelings could mean. She has never considered the notion of love before, doesn't know how it works, or how to go about admitting that she's in love. 

 

"It's alright, Chika-chan," You takes a step forward, her voice soft and filled with warmth understanding. She wraps her arms around the ginger-haired girl, pulling her into a hug. 

 

Chika relaxes into the hug almost immediately, resting her head near the crook of You's neck. Despite the loudness of her own racing heartbeat, Chika feels safe and comforted in You's arms. It's a more familiar feeling that she associates with You - the feeling of security and home. 

 

She starts to forget about her worries, her thoughts focusing on the moment. 

 

"I like you, Chika-chan," You finally confesses, her voice almost a quiet whisper that brushes against her ears. You feels Chika go still, before the former pulls away. 

 

You watches a myriad of emotions crossing Chika's features, of relief, surprise, disbelief, joy, and finally, determination.  

 

"I...like you too, You-chan," Chika's voice is just soft, albeit bashful at her admission, as tinges of pink spreads across her cheeks. 

 

"Yeah," You beams at Chika's answer, before she giggles. 

 

"What's so funny?" The ginger-haired girl pouts, which only causes You to laugh.  _Ah, Chika-chan is too cute for her own good._

 

"You-chan!" 

 

"Sorry, sorry," The smile on You's lips stretches further as she regards Chika affectionately.

 

It's a side of Chika that You hasn't seen. 

 

And she can't wait to see more of such sides of Chika.


End file.
